Taking notes is a huge part of an actor’s career and growth. The ability to take a note from a director gracefully and implement it swiftly is a skill that will set you apart and take you far. However, many classes and programs assume this is a skill actors come in with and don’t necessarily teach emerging actors what taking notes well actually looks like. Let’s break it down a little.
What You’ll Find in This Article
- What is a Note?
- Keep an Open Mind
- Listen and Assess
- Don’t Waste Time Explaining or Debating
- Translate
- Try it Out
- Advocate
- Clarify
- Choose Your Battles
A note is feedback or instruction, usually from your director (or instructor or coach), meant to guide you in adjusting your performance.
Not all directors are created equal. Some will be able to communicate more effectively than others. You won’t always agree with a note or know what to do with it right away. However, for the most part, you’ve entered into a contract that obligates you to take direction from the director, which means that you’ll have to find a way to take notes of all sorts.
Keep an Open Mind
Remember that filmmaking and theater are collaborative efforts. Entering any notes session defensively is a recipe for disaster. Notes are not an attack on your skill as an actor, and shouldn’t be received as criticism, so much as guidance. Clinging to your opinions at the expense of hearing a director out is inefficient and short-sighted. Remember how your performance feels from the inside might not be how it reads to an outside eye. While you’re in charge of inhabiting your character, the director is in charge of telling the greater story. Approaching notes with a spirit of curiosity and flexibility will not only preserve working relationships but will also support your growth as an actor.
Listen and Assess
It’s shocking how many times actors need this reminder. If you’re approaching notes with defensiveness, you may have already decided what you think the director is going to say or how they’re going to say it.
Take a breath and really try to listen — not only to the note itself, but the spirit behind it. If you can mentally place why the note was given, you’ll be able to implement it more quickly and fully. For example, does a note about your character’s response to their father in one scene affect your character’s arc later on? Is this one note trying to get at the heart of your character’s motivation? Extrapolating from a single note might help you problem-solve on your own throughout the process.
Don’t Waste Time Explaining or Debating
We’ve all gotten a note that prickles our pride. You know the director missed something, or didn’t see what you were going for, or any one of a million things that might spur you to say “Actually…” Ninety percent of the time, it’s not worth it. If you understand what the director is going for and can adjust on your own, it’s not worth nitpicking over details. Save your push back for battles that are worth it. Keep it moving.
Translate
Different directors have different communication styles. The quicker you can identify different styles and implement them on the fly, the better. Notice how they’re giving notes to other actors as well. Do they favor visually driven language? Comparisons, “as ifs” and references? Are they more physically based? Being able to translate someone else’s note-giving style into something usable for yourself is a massively valuable skill.
Try it Out
Even if you disagree with a note or think it won’t work, try it once. There’s a chance you’re wrong, and you’ll end up liking where it takes you. Even if it fails miserably, giving it a good-faith try will build trust with your director and cultivate a good working relationship. Furthermore, sometimes a note that doesn’t click for you when you’re discussing it will make more sense once you put it on its feet. In most cases, it’s worth the effort to give it a shot.
Don’t Argue. Instead:
Advocate
If taking a note is going to put you, the actor, at risk of actual harm or violates your contract, that is absolutely grounds for pushback and further discussion.
Clarify
If you don’t fully understand the note, respectfully asking for clarification is perfectly professional.
Choose Your Battles
Some artistic hills are worth dying on. Taking a note gracefully doesn’t mean being a doormat or that your input doesn’t matter.
There will be times when you’ll need to push back, and finding ways to professionally communicate your disagreement is crucial. Try to remove accusatory or emotionally charged language and shift the dialogue toward working together to find common ground. A good director will listen to input, particularly if an actor has a history of taking most notes quickly and well.
Final Takeaways
Taking notes well is a crucial skill that will help you grow as an actor and build strong working relationships. It’s not always easy, especially when the feedback feels challenging or unclear. However, approaching notes with openness and professionalism will set you apart and support your journey.
- Listen fully and stay open to the director’s intention behind the note.
- Try out every note, even if it feels uncomfortable or unfamiliar at first.
- Avoid arguing or explaining too much; save your energy for important issues.
- Learn to translate different directors’ styles into something that works for you.
- Speak up respectfully if a note causes harm or you need clarification.
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